Referendum Blues

Four days before Australians voted in the 1916 referendum about compulsory military service, a teacher at Richmond Hill State School decided to explore this process of voting when teaching the combined  Fourth and Fifth classes. On Tuesday 24 October Mr William John Williams discussed the concept of a referendum -“what it is, when it is […]

Student 685: the boy from Bundaberg

In January 1898, little Albert ‘Bert’ Hinkler was enrolled at the age of 5 years and one month as student 685 at North Bundaberg State School. Look closely at the school admission register and you will see his rank as Lieutenant was later added in recognition of his career as a world class aviator. From […]

Trampled on by Wild Horses: Schooling in Nanango

Nanango School’s 150th anniversary in January 2016 is worthy of a community celebration for many reasons, not least because this school survived some particularly tough times in its early years. Within our archive collection is a letter handwritten in 1865 that “begs” for assistance from the Board of Education “for needful help” from the inhabitants […]

Aspects of the heritage of Maroon, Queensland

Travelling throughout Queensland we see many small towns and communities, marked by their school and often a war memorial. These places are not only significant for their communities, but reflect the pattern of Queensland’s history and regional development. The Queensland Heritage Register details those places considered to hold cultural significance. Recently the Maroon State School […]

The Anzac legend begins

The approaching Anzac Centenary has been the impetus for us to research the collection and identify interesting items for students, teachers, armchair historians and anyone interested in Queensland history. In this post we are looking at records that specifically refer to the early days of the Gallipoli campaign. The Dardanelles is the name of the […]